Organizers of Alberta's Iron Horse trail are calling on the community to help “Save the Beaver River Trestle.”
The group has entered the trestle into the Aviva Community Fund contest, in an attempt to win $150,000.
The trestle was damaged in June 2012 after a lit car was pushed off the north end embankment, became lodged in the trestle and set the structure ablaze.
An engineering firm was hired shortly after the damage to the trestle had been sustained to assess the trestle and provide a guaranteed maximum price to repair the structure.
Organizers have been told they will need to raise $1.5 million to completely fix the trestle.
“We are trying to get people to register and vote everyday. That is the challenge,” said Marianne Price, administrative organizer Northeast Muni-Corr, the trail's operator.
Citizens can vote at the “Save the Beaver River Trestle” page on the contest's website here: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf17487
The first stage of the contest runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 14.
Organizers will be officially kicking off fundraising for the project on Oct. 18 at the Alberta Snowmobile Association show in Edmonton.
“I have a couple donations to announce at the kick off,” said Price. “Several individuals and smaller business have also already made some smaller donations to the fundraiser. We are just getting started.”
Price says they have already applied for a $125,000 grant through Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw's office and also plan to approach the federal government through Westlock-St. Paul MP Brian Storseth.
Power Merchants Ltd. in both St. Paul and Cold Lake has offered to put up posters and will take donations at their business starting this week.
“I am confident that the people in the Lakeland region are going to pull together and we are going to make this happen,” said Price. “We are just trying to get the word out that the contest is going on and that people should go online and vote to “Save the Beaver River Trestle.”
